The pandemic has brought a number of changes in the last couple of years. For example, simple things, like professional handshakes, were once common behaviors but are now often hesitated. Additionally, many Americans lost jobs when businesses shut down or closed for good. This caused people to think about their next step, and what they want in a career today that has huge potential for tomorrow. With more than 45 years of experience and success in the franchise business, we know the importance of longevity and staying power in an industry. And that’s what is on most people’s minds when they inquire about becoming a new business owner and buying a Pinch A Penny pool retail and service franchise.

Pinch A Penny is a Recession-Resistant Franchise

Franchise Business Review named Pinch A Penny a top 50 recession-proof business in 2020 and a top 100 recession-proof business to start in 2021. Not only have we been the leading pool franchise business for more than 45 years, but we’ve also not closed a single location in 30 of those years. And this includes the last couple of years when the world was changing. In fact, we’ve done the opposite and continue to grow at a rapid pace! In 2020, we were designated an essential business that allowed us to remain open and operational while other businesses were not. Additionally, along with providing pool retail and maintenance, our franchisees continue to expand into the area of pool renovations as more homeowners seek ways to improve and repair their existing pool and backyard.

Pinch A Penny Businesses Include Multiple Revenue Streams

Over the past 45 plus years, we have built a recession-proof franchise system with a proven business model. A big part of that business model includes having multiple streams of revenue where there’s always a way to attract new customers, as well as provide value-added offers to existing customers. With Pinch A Penny, our store owners not only own a local retail pool supply store that offers recurring pool service and maintenance, but they also provide backyard services beyond the pool including paver installation, outdoor living design, pressure washing, and landscape lighting to name a few.

The Pool Industry Remains on the Rise

Since the surge in demand for new pools began in 2020, the pool industry has continued its upward trajectory as homeowners continue to maintain, improve, and enjoy their pools and spas. Now more than ever, families are enjoying “staycations” at home instead of traveling, bringing a desire for new pools, upgraded backyards, and more!

Now is the Time to Dive In with Pinch A Penny!

For over 45 years, Pinch A Penny has been training and guiding franchisees through a proven business model built to deliver unmatched success. If you’re looking for a franchise opportunity where you can be your own boss and run a proven, recession-proof business, contact our Franchise Development Team today! We’re ready to answer your questions and start you on the journey!

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Jay and Shelly Strepman say Pinch A Penny isn’t exaggerating when they call their franchise a “turnkey operation.” The owners of the brand’s newest location in East Woodlands, Texas, which opened August 18, say launching their Pinch A Penny was like “buying a business in a box.”

“Every person we’ve met at Pinch A Penny has been wonderful,” says Jay. “They think of everything, and they had an answer for every question that occurred to us.” From finding the perfect location to learning the computer system to training, the process was perfectly smooth – and everything went exactly as they were told it would go, Jay says.

Timing Is Everything

The Strepmans are typical Pinch A Penny franchisees, midcareer professionals who are transitioning from corporate America. Shelly worked for more than a decade in corporate finance before becoming a math teacher. Jay is retired from United Airlines, where he fixed airplanes for a living. The only thing either of them knew about swimming pools was what they learned building and caring for their own saltwater pool at their house. “I was definitely a DIY guy,” Jay says.

They had been talking about starting their own business, possibly franchises in Texas, for years. At one point, they actually looked into buying a Taco Bell franchise but were turned off by the seven-figure price tag, the requirement to have five years’ experience in the food industry, and the fact that there were an abundance of Taco Bells nearby.

As with so many things in life, it all came down to timing for the Strepmans. They say all the right things happened at exactly the right time. “I was teaching, and then COVID happened,” Shelly says. “One day we got a sale flyer in the mail from Pinch A Penny, and on the back it said there were franchises available in our area.” Jay adds, “A lightbulb went on because we realized we just didn’t have anything like that in our neighborhood.”

They began talking with Pinch A Penny about the opportunity, which included looking at the number of pools and competitors in East Woodlands. “When we met with (Director of Franchise Development) Adam Heflin, he pulled out his iPad and showed us exactly how many pools were in our area,” Jay says. “It was so impressive! And we were looking at their proprietary map of all the pools, and we realized we could provide this service to the community.”

The couple attended Discovery Day, and they “just clicked” with everyone they met at Pinch A Penny.

“I kept asking Jay, when are we going to meet a jerk?” Shelly says, laughing. “Everybody we met was so nice and so easygoing. And they all really knew their stuff and made it so easy for us.”

For example, East Woodlands is a master-planned community, and so the Strepmans ran into some delays trying to get approvals to build the store. “Pinch A Penny not only worked with the landlord, but they also sent a package to the township to respond to their concerns and help us get approval,” Shelly says. That kind of support is what separates Pinch A Penny from other franchise systems. They want them to be part of our franchise system, so they design systems to help them succeed.

Shelly says Pinch A Penny’s turnkey approach made a huge difference. “I think we would have been really lost with the real estate, but they negotiated the best possible deal that we could have ever gotten.”

Countdown to Launch

Heflin gave the Strepmans a 15-step checklist to show them how the launch process worked. Their experience followed the plan to a T, Jay says.

In March, they attended training in Florida. “The first week is like drinking from a firehose,” Jay says, “but it definitely gets easier as you go on.”

They were thrilled to get books of reference material that covered everything from water testing to human resources and legal questions to take home with them. “And we have been referencing them,” Jay says.

He is grateful for the cell phone numbers of their instructors, who encourage franchisees to text any time they have a question. “They always answer right away,” he says. “They are just so helpful.”

When it came time to learn the new computer system, Pinch A Penny sent someone to Texas to re-demonstrate the POS computer – since training had occurred a few months earlier – and to teach the Strepmans how to use the field software. “Any follow-up questions I’ve had, I called the help desk, and they were so nice,” Jay adds.

In preparation for the grand opening, a Pinch A Penny team stocked the new store’s shelves, organized the back room, and handled the advertising. On opening day, a team of trainers were on hand to help take care of customers.

Meanwhile, the Strepmans met Kevin and Debbie Glass, who opened their new Pinch A Penny in Conroe last April, and the couples became fast friends. “We kind of went through the process with them, and we used the same contractor who built their store, which made it so much easier,” Jay says.

“We started going to Conroe on Saturdays and working with them, which gave them a little more help and gave us some experience and confidence before we opened,” Jay says.  “It’s been really helpful for both of us.”

The Strepmans were also getting plenty of hands-on practice in their own franchise area, having signed 14 pool cleaning customers before their store even opened. They are excited about the future and grateful for the help and friendship of everyone they’ve met along their Pinch A Penny journey.

“We have dealt with so many people,” Shelly says, “and every one of them is as awesome as the last one.”

Interested in owning your own franchise?

What backyard services can a Pinch A Penny pool franchise offer?

Pinch A Penny’s strategic focus on customers’ backyards has helped grow the brand and its franchisees’ bottom lines the right way.

“We are building programs that are complementary additions to the business model,” says Troy Lindbeck, Pinch A Penny’s Vice President of Operations. “We are always looking for services that fit – those that help people enjoy their pool and backyard areas.”

Pinch A Penny’s three-pronged business model includes retail, pool cleaning, and ancillary services, also known as “backyard services.” The ancillary services include power washing, leak detection, pool resurfacing, hardscaping, and building outdoor kitchens. The last ancillary service introduced was landscape lighting, which debuted at Pinch A Penny’s 2020 trade show. Over the next seven months, Pinch A Penny rolled out training, products, and merchandising to support landscape lighting services. Like all ancillary services, it’s up to each individual franchise owner whether they add a new service to their offerings.

The retail operation and pool cleaning are at the core of the business, and Lindbeck says he advises new franchisees to concentrate on those core services first. “At the end of the day, you’re buying a pool store, and the store cleans pools. The ancillary services come later. These are services you don’t have to offer. After you’re established, however, you begin to look for new ways to boost revenues, and the ancillary services can do that.”

How can ancillary services improve my pool franchise opportunities?

Nick Walker has owned the North Lakeland, Florida, store for five years. He began working for a previous owner when he was only a teenager, then worked with the next owner as a college student and became a partner in the business.

Four to five years ago, Walker’s store began offering pressure washing and screening, and since then he has added the installation of pavers for the pool deck and driveway, deck renovation, sanding, and sealing. Earlier this year, he began offering pool remodeling.

These backyard services account for about half of the store’s total revenue. In fact, the store has doubled its growth over the last two years largely because of the revenue from ancillary services.

“We listen to what our customers say they want,” Walker says. “Then we add services that we know people need and that not a lot of people provide. Customers frequently ask who we would recommend for different services, and it’s all stuff we can do. You don’t want to see that money walk out the door.”

Listening to his customers was exactly how Walker got into the screen repair business. “There were not many people in our area who did screen repair. We had people from neighboring cities who would come into the store and give us their cards to hand out. Growth is not always about adding money to the bank. Sometimes it’s just finding out what your customers want and providing that. It’s just good customer service.”

Lindbeck agrees that the smart way to grow the business is to learn the retail and cleaning side, then listen to your customers about which ancillary services they want and need.

“After you’re established, you begin to learn about your customers and neighborhoods and what they want and need,” Lindbeck says. “If a customer is in the store three times per month for supplies, we want to be able to talk about what else we can do for them. After all, you can only sell a person so much chlorine.”

Interested in owning your own franchise?

You already own a pool business. You may already have trucks and employees and possibly a retail location. You’ve built your own business servicing pools in your area. You love being your own boss and setting your own schedule, but many days you could use some more support, guidance and resources. This summer is the perfect time for independent pool business owners to consider converting to a Pinch A Penny franchise. Franchising with Pinch A Penny offers numerous benefits that can help owners not only protect their investment but also grow their business. As the nation’s largest swimming pool retail, service and repair franchise, Pinch A Penny has developed a dominant presence in a booming backyard-focused industry that’s led to the highest average unit sales in the industry at more than $1.5 million.* When you join the Pinch A Penny family, you gain increased value and support when you are preparing to retire and sell the business; a proven business model with multiple streams of revenue; and purchasing power through our franchise system.

Exit strategy assistance

We understand you are proud of the business you have built – and that you are looking forward to eventually being able to relax and enjoy yourself in retirement. Converting your independent pool business to a Pinch A Penny location now will help you sell it for more later, thanks to the added value that comes with being part of a top pool franchise system whose benefits include a best-in-class training program that will help your successor get off to a good start, in-house financing and more. We can help you plan and execute your exit strategy, whether it’s transferring ownership to a family member or finding the right buyer.

Proven business model

Pinch A Penny has a year-round business model, thanks to multiple revenue streams from retail sales, pool cleaning and backyard services. During the busy summer season, the retail store is busy with customers buying chemicals, pool toys and more. When temperatures drop, cleaning service continues, and hot tub needs rise. Customers also tend to schedule repairs or upgrades like pool heaters in the cooler off-season. Regardless of the weather, DIY’ers will stop in year-round for expertise, water testing and accessories such as grills or new products.

Purchasing power

Pinch A Penny’s strong supply chain keeps costs down and ensures you have the merchandise that you need to serve your customers. Thanks to the collective buying power of our franchise system, we can offer franchisees proprietary products that we source from a number of manufacturers. That means you can purchase high-quality products at extremely competitive prices and that you don’t have to worry about product availability, such as the chlorine tablet shortage of spring 2021. Additionally, we deliver merchandise directly to the stores, so you can count on getting what you need when you need it. When you convert your business to a Pinch A Penny franchise, you can be confident you will have all the necessary resources to build a brighter future for your family and yourself. Now is the perfect time to join the Pinch A Penny family business and take your independent story to the next level as a franchise owner.   *For the year ending December 31, 2020, Pinch A Penny had 257 store open. Of those stores, 253 have been open at least one year. Of those open at least one year, the average annual gross sales were $1,525,624 and some stores (40%) had annual gross sales that exceeded the average. Your results may differ. The is no assurance that you will do as well. See our 2021 Franchise Disclosure Document for more information.

Interested in owning your own franchise?